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But Cllr Douglas Campbell said the bid to house it at the i3 life sciences business park in Irvine - which he said would have created hundreds of direct and indirect jobs - was a key element of the Ayrshire Growth Deal.

Cllr Campbell said: “After such a positive start to the year, with the Prime Minister herself announcing the start of formal talks for the Ayrshire Growth Deal, this really is a missed opportunity for everyone involved in this decision to show their support not just for Ayrshire – but for the potential we have to boost the Scottish and UK economies.

“This was a strong and robust bid that was based on hard evidence and facts about what we can deliver here in Ayrshire – a vibrant and world-class life sciences industry, fantastic infrastructure, a highly-skilled workforce, and the drive and ambition to succeed – and it’s not clear why that wasn’t enough.

“This decision not only affects our ambitions and plans for the Ayrshire Growth Deal – it places a significant impact on our expectations for our economy, our people and our places, who will bear the brunt in the years ahead.

“I’m deeply disappointed that Ayrshire has lost out on this significant investment and my focus now – alongside colleagues and partners in East and North Ayrshire – will to be ensure that we are taken seriously by those holding the purse strings and we do bring in the investment and jobs that our area, and our people, so desperately need.

“There’s no doubt this is a real blow, but Ayrshire will continue to fight for what we want, need and deserve.”

MMIC will support 80 new jobs in Inchinnan and offer pharma companies a service to develop and adopt new techniques into their own manufacturing processes.

It hopes to cut the time it can take for new drugs to reach the market.

The project is being supported with £15 million from Scottish Enterprise, £13 million through UK Research and Innovation, and £7 million each from pharmaceutical firms GSK and AstraZeneca.

Last week the decision also angered the leader of North Ayrshire Council Joe Cullinane.

It comes just months after Irvine was overlooked by the Scottish Government when they chose Dundee and Glasgow as bases for a new Social Security Agency.

These are expected to create around 750 jobs at each location.

Cllr Cullinane told the Daily Record: "We are all extremely frustrated with this decision.

"We have been working for over three years to secure this investment and, with our Urban Regeneration Company, had invested £10m in site infrastructure to make it ready for new investment such as MMIC and other manufacturing and life science companies that would want to locate next to and access MMIC facilities.

"Our proposal is very strong. Furthermore, our site was created as a special Life Sciences Area, recognised by the Scottish and UK Governments for the purpose of creating a vibrant life sciences hub in Irvine.

"With the support of large multi-national businesses, already located there, this would have allowed the MMIC to get up and running immediately. We have a strong, dynamic, skilled workforce already in place, with the infrastructure to complement that."

Welcoming the Inchinnan decision Business Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "I am delighted that the MMIC will be located in Scotland, given its potential to become a global centre of excellence and bringing significant benefits to Scotland's economy.

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"As well as helping to attract further manufacturing investment to Scotland, the centre will also be well placed to support new business start-ups and spin-outs and enable established life and chemical science companies to profit from innovation."

The centre will be positioned next to the National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland and aims to attract more than £80 million in research and development investment by 2028.